Trump Briefed on Guyana’s No Confidence Motion

Washington DC – In a rather short email response to a third-party query that was made on behalf of this news publication on Friday morning, it is understood that US President Donald Trump has already received a briefing on Wednesday as it relates to the now controversial no-confidence motion that was passed in Guyana’s parliament.

However, the three-line White House press email indicated that the US President would first have to consult with his Secretary of State before determining a possible US response, if any at all, since (in their view), the political situation is still at an infant stage where it can be resolved peacefully in Guyana without any outside interference – at least for now.

Despite so, observers are of the view that any pronouncements from President Trump or the US Department of State can have a significant impact on the current political impasse, since it is highly unlikely that either side (opposition and the government) would want to resist any recommendations that are made by the US that is aimed at resolving the issue.

Historically, the United States has always favoured the calling of new elections to break political impasses, as it has done in almost 6 other countries in 2018 that were embroiled in various forms of political bickering.

Knowing this, it is believed that opposition leader Bharrat Jagdeo may very well be pressing the United States along that line since it is generally the US policy to urge disputed political parties to go to the polls; – which is exactly what the opposition wants in any case.

But while Jagdeo may be pressing a generally impatient Donald Trump to irritate him enough to formally force the APNU-AFC into calling an early general elections (even if they are to ignore the no-confidence motion), the government is still hoping to drag things out, as it prepares to launch a string of uphill court cases in their quest to have the shocking motion overturned.

However, it remains uncertain as to whether such a move can actually work, or whether the United States would formally adopt a position anytime soon on the motion, which can technically bring both sides swiftly to the table, or simply trigger the anticipated calling of general elections, in a matter of months.

Subsequent efforts by this publication late Friday afternoon to clarify certain elements in the email via the White House Press contact numbers (available here) have since proved futile, as we were urged to email any new questions again – a process that can see a reply taking several days, often without any tangible information.

The APNU-AFC government had collapsed after Government MP Charandass Persaud sided with an opposition tabled motion of no confidence, which was successfully passed at a ratio of 33-32.

However, days later the APNU-AFC government which had repeatedly accepted defeat, and was scheduled to demit office, reverse course and indirectly expressed a desire not do so, while insisting that the change in their position has to do with the dual citizenship status of Persaud, and their own interpretation of what constitutes a parliamentary majority.